A frightened adult female remained loose near Goodale Road after residents secured three other Australian cattle dogs found at an Andover Township park. Her wariness required a coordinated recovery effort, while the condition of all four dogs prompted veterinary care and an investigation into who was responsible for them.
New Jersey Fish and Wildlife contacted Buddha Dog Rescue & Recovery on Saturday after the dogs were reportedly found in the Sussex County township. The animals are believed to have been abandoned, but authorities have not established who left them at the park or confirmed that abandonment occurred.
Before rescuers arrived, three residents identified as Cathy, Doreen and Nicole secured two puppies and one adult dog. The fourth dog, an adult female, remained at large and was described as frightened and extremely wary of people.
Bonnie Waslewski, a volunteer with Buddha Dog Rescue & Recovery, joined the search. The team eventually captured the female using a humane trap, avoiding the need to force direct contact with a dog already reluctant to approach people.
She was taken to the Hopatcong Animal Shelter and reunited with the other three dogs. The shelter identified all four as Australian cattle dogs, and the group is now safely housed together.
Veterinary care and an open investigation
Buddha Dog Rescue & Recovery said the dogs appeared to be in poor condition and showed signs of severe neglect. The organization also said they were vomiting worms when they reached the shelter.
All four dogs are receiving veterinary care. No individual diagnoses, treatment details, ages, names or prognoses have been released, so the reported symptom should not be used to draw conclusions about any one dog’s condition or likely recovery.
Worms can sometimes be visible in an animal’s vomit or feces, according to the RSPCA’s guidance on parasites in pets. The organization advises taking any worms found on or near a pet to a veterinarian, who can determine an appropriate treatment based on the type involved. That general guidance does not establish what affected these four dogs.
The reported neglect and the question of whether the dogs were deliberately left behind are related but distinct issues. The rescue organization described their physical condition, while investigators still must determine who owned or cared for them and how they came to be at the park.
New Jersey law makes it unlawful for an owner or another person responsible for an animal to fail to provide necessary care. The statute also distinguishes among offenses based on conduct, injury and prior convictions, meaning any legal determination depends on facts established during an investigation rather than the dogs’ appearance alone.
Animal-cruelty investigations in New Jersey are conducted by humane law enforcement officers who report to county prosecutors, according to the New Jersey Department of Health’s Veterinary Public Health office. The state directs people with concerns involving companion animals to contact their local police or county prosecutor’s office.
In this case, the appropriate authorities are investigating and seeking information that could identify the dogs’ owner. No evidence provided publicly establishes who left the animals, why they were at the park or whether criminal charges will result.
Anyone with information about the four dogs or their owner is asked to call the Andover Township Police Department at 973-383-5544. Providing information directly to police gives investigators the opportunity to assess it through the official process.
The immediate danger has passed: the wary female is no longer loose, and all four dogs are together under veterinary care. Their longer-term condition, custody and possible availability for adoption or transfer have not been announced, leaving both their recovery and the ownership investigation unresolved.
What would you do if your dog were in this situation? Share your thoughts in the comments.
By Sarah Mitchell — 8 years as a local-news reporter covering animal welfare, shelters, neighborhood disputes, and public-safety pet stories.
